The Truth of Diaoyu Islands - The Treaty of Shimonoseki

Hollywood writer and director Chris D. Nebe's 40-minute documentary which traces the history of the Diaoyu Islands premiered last month.

"Diaoyu Islands, The Truth" focuses on the historical and political context of the territorial dispute, providing evidence that the islands have been Chinese territory since ancient times and that Imperial Japan annexed them in 1895 after the First Sino-Japanese War.

China has never recognized the right of administration of the United States or Japan over the islands, and Tokyo refuses to admit its war crimes against the Chinese and other nations during World War II.

We have selected four clips from the documentary:

The Treaty of Shimonoseki – and the spoils of war

China's Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was defeated during the First Sino-Japanese War (1894 -1895) and the Chinese were forced to sign the Treaty of Shimonoseki with Japan. China agreed to cede to Japan "in perpetuity" Liaodong Peninsula, Penghu islands, and the island of Taiwan. Imperial Japan also annexed the Diaoyu Islands from China in 1895 as the spoils of war, though they were not part of the Treaty of Shimonoseki.